It's Just a Question
by Kokolo
Summary: Just like the title implies, Zim asks a question, Dib fails to understand, and hilarious antics insue. Minor slash, humor based. Don't like, don't read.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:I don't own these guys, but they sure as hell are fun to play with.

Warning: Minor slash in upcomming chapters. Humor based; Don't like, don't read.

* * *

Ugh. that's just.. _Disgusting_!

The small child cringed at the sight before him. Since his movement into the Hi-Skool, he had seen a lot, and I mean _a lot_ of gross things humans did as they got older. But this. this was just sick!

His eye twitched again, yet he couldn't pull his eyes from the sight. _It's like a train wreck... only without the amusing screams of agony_. So he simply sat there. Watching. He could see every move they made. The filth meat-hands roaming over the other... the pulling, the pinching, the pressing, the... _OH MY IRK_!

"ENOUGH! ZIM HAS SEEN ENOUGH OF YOUR FILTHY STINK- BEAST FEEDING RITUAL! THE GREAT ZIM DEMANDS YOU STOP AT ONCE!"

They didn't hear him

But everyone else did

And so he ran off

Among the few that seemed to hear him, and among the fewer that seemed to care, sat another boy. This one, though not as… interested with the antics of others had a vague idea of what made the little invader so upset. Despite the recent outburst, he licked his finger and flipped to the next page. Nobody ever took Zim's rants and shouts seriously; you think he would have learned by now. _But then, he wouldn't be Zim at all, now would he_?

The boy smiled, and turned the page.

------------

Tell me what you think. two reviews and the story will continue


	2. Skool

Ok, here's the second chapter! Well, it more like the first chapter 'cause the one before it was more like a prolouge. Oh well. And remember, I own nothing, so you can't sue XP

------------

"I swear to God she's following us."

"Who?"

"Bitters"

"Oh."

Zim and Dib sat side by side on the grounds outside the Hi-Skool Cafeteria. Just as they had every day for a year. They've grown up, as Professor Membrane so carelessly put it between re-calibrating the toaster and insulating the silverware. It was true, they had grown up. Both literally and figuratively, though Dib more so than Zim in the literal sense -something Zim never really got over.

Figuratively, Dib had gotten over his obsession with the paranormal. He still liked it, yes, but the constant need to prove himself was something he'd lost. You see, during the last year of Skool, Dib had actually managed to capture Zim. He'd even gotten him to the set of Mysterious Mysteries. The second they got there though, it blew up in Dibs face. Film crews, costumes, and one fat security guard was a basic sum up. the details were blurry anyway. After seeing that, and an hour of ranting on Zim's behalf, they agreed on a truce, for the time being anyway.

As for Zim, he still had his aspirations. His mission was never fully abandoned, just... postponed. Even though Zim got the feeling that his Tallest felt… differently about his mission then he had previously thought, he never outgrew his stubborn-ness and continues to pursue his goals as he always had. As of this moment, he felt relative peace between him and the dirt-ball planet. In fact, it had given him a few inches height wise (he was now 5'2", a full 5 inches short of Dib). However, should anything arise within his mission, Dib would be first to go, that's what they agreed on in the truce anyway. _Can't have that filthy worm-baby interfering again, now can we?_

And so they sat together, a comfortable and completely routine silence settled between them. Well, almost routine. Dib looked up from his book, growing impatient after 10 minutes of Zim shifting and shuffling around in his seat. He sent a glare to the invader, hoping it would get his message across. Zim, however, absorbed in his strange communicator/watch/computer, didn't seem to heed or care the human was staring daggers at him.

With a sigh, Dib dog-eared the page and set the book down. He then proceeded to poke the alien in the forehead. This, Zim did not take lightly to. He proceeded to bolt upright and catapult himself into the nearest tree with the aid of the spider-like appendages that shot out from his PAK. Surprisingly enough, this, coupled with the scream Zim let out, hadn't drawn any attention whatsoever to the two oddities. Dib shook his head and smirked. _I guess being a total looser and outcast has its benefits._

------------------------------------------------------------------

After about a half hour of coaxing, Zim finally stepped out of the tree. But before Dib could inquire about any of it, the bell rang and all the children filed slowly back into the Skool. It wasn't until the two were seated in their class and Ms. Bitters was rambling on about doom (brought about by rabid papier-mâché hamsters exchanging polka-dotted meat flowers) that Dib was able to get Zim's attention

In the form of a paper plane

In the eye

After ten to fifteen minutes of silently cursing Dib, his parents, and the people responsible for creating paper and the art of folding it into airplanes for the use of weaponry, another wad of paper hit him.

This time, Zim opened it up

**Damn it Zim, just read the other paper**

He blinked, re-adjusted his contacts and opened the stink-beast's flimsy weapon.

**Zim, why were you so fidgety during lunch? Planning another hostile takeover doomed to fail, alien scum? **-Zim cringed at the use of his old nickname… and the obvious insult to his mission-** Haha, well, whatever it is I plan on finding out, so it's better if you just tell me green-kid. See ya after school. -Dib**

Zim smirked, the earth-monkey could be so persistent at times. And annoying. Stupid too. The invader crumpled the paper in his clawed hand and shot it back at Dib, his face twisting into disappointment when it missed his eyes. Curse those massive glass orbs upon his equally massive head.

Dib looked up as the paper wad came into contact with his skull. Blinking once, he opened it and smirked. Scrawled on the bottom of the page were two words;

**Whatever, Dib-stink**

* * *

Hope you liked it. Still kinda short, the next one will be longer...I think. Be sure to review! 


	3. After Skool

Here we go. The next installment of "It's Just a Question..." Enjoy and remember,I own NOTHING (T-T sniff)

* * *

It was only after the bell rang and the children hurried out the door (and some out the third story window) did Zim and Dib plan to meet again. It was Dib who arrived at the designated meeting spot, as always. And so he stood, leaning against the beat-up Oldsmobile and staring into nothing, as always. Nothing different, nothing special

Until Zim showed up. The beeping of his computer/watch tore through Dib's thoughts, disrupting his observation of a particularly odd-shaped cloud. The erratic beeping lasted a few more moments before Dib clicked the conveniently placed off-button. Zim, in his almighty ways, stared at the screen and hit it a few times before finally realizing Dib was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Oh, there you are Dib-stink. Where have you been? The great ZIM does not like to wait!"

Dib stared for a few moments, wondering if Zim was_ really_ that stupid. Zim stared straight back, wondering why Dib was staring at him… and then that picture hit him. Zim recoiled, brushed off his uniform and looked around nervously. Dib, thinking it was a little odd of Zim to behave this way (but not _that_ odd) arched a brow toward the short invader. Shrugging, Dib opened the car door and entered the vehicle. Realizing Zim still hadn't moved, he revved the engine. Nothing.

So he honked the horn.

Loud

VERY loud.

That made Zim move. Right back up into the tree he'd lodged himself into before. It was then, and only then, did Dib smash his head on the steering wheel.

It had taken an hour to pry Zim out of the tree this time. Now they were finally on the road, heading to fulfill the promise Dib had made in order to get Zim out of the tree.

Home Cooked Food.

Zim's one and only weakness. The only one Dib could figure out anyway (besides water, but everyone and their mother knew that one). It wasn't all that bad, actually. Every time Zim was threatening to take over the world, all Dib had to say was "Dinner's ready" and he'd come running. Dib smirked at the thought; it was nice having power of something for a change… even if it was only a little green kid.

Dib's smile soon faded, however. The beeping had returned.

It

Was

Annoying

The

Hell

Out

Of

Him

"ZIM!"

"What!"

"God damn it Zim give me that watch!"

"What?" Zim asked, his voice choked and the beeping stopped dead. The red light let Dib cast a glace toward the alien beside him. Immediately he felt bad (well, only a little) for shouting at him. Zim was staring worriedly at him, shaking a bit and covering the screen as much as he could with his gloved hand.

As bad as Dib felt, he found himself being overcome with curiosity. He leaned forward, and Zim leaned back. He leaned to the side, and Zim leaned in the opposite direction. This little dance continued for a few minutes, that is, until an impatient driver behind them shouted

"Hey. HEY! Quit makin' out and GO ALREADY!"

That snapped both of them out of their dodging game. Dib slammed down on the gas petal and Zim quickly shut down the program. Being consumed with their tasks, neither had time to register the blush that spilled its way to their faces (interestingly enough, Zim's face was an odd blue color). They sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

Well, almost.

It was Dib's meek voice that cut through the emptiness. "So… your house or mine?"

"It's almost ready Zim. Get up here!" Dib yelled into the intercom. He looked down at the dinner he had prepared, quite proud of himself for figuring out how to work the alien food into something presentable (and edible). He had arrived at Zim's house an hour or so before, leaving Zim to do whatever he does down in his base while he busied himself.

"TACO!"

THWAP

"GIR… please let go of my head."

The hyperactive little robot blinked twice, then launched into a loud, squeaky version of The Brady Bunch theme song. Dib's eye twitched, the his hand, then his entire right side as the defective SIR unit hit the ending note with an alto that could shatter Plexiglas.

Much to Dib's discontent, GIR then decided his head was the perfect dancing stage; and started to 'dance like a monkey'

A toilet flush stopped them both; GIR stopped dancing and Dib stopped reaching for the knife to stab himself with. It was quite an interesting sight to the little invader who smirked upon entering the living quarter. He had never seen Dib's face so relieved… at least not in his presence.

"MASTAH!" GIR screamed and went to tackle Zim, who ducked and sidestepped him with practiced ease. GIR crashed into the wall, launched into a giggle fit and then ran in circles. Both boys simply shook their heads.

"Well, Dib, what have you prepared?"

"Well, some of the blue stuff and some of the green stuff and just a dash of that pulsing red garbage up on the top shelf."

Zim stared at Dib for a few moments, which made Dib nervous. He released a breath once Zim shrugged and took a bite. Dib released another breath when Zim motioned toward the untouched plate. "Eat, Dib-stink. It's good."

After dinner was done, the dishes finished and put away, and three more musical interludes from the dysfunctional SIR unit, Dib found himself exhausted and ready to head home. Though, Dib couldn't help but notice Zim was acting stranger than normal. He would have confronted the invader, had he been able to get close to him. Zim had been avoiding him, absorbed in his computer/watch and casting nervous glances toward the human every two minutes.

Once an hour of this behavior had passed, Dib rose off the couch.

"I'm gonna head home Zim. It's almost 8 and Gaz will kick my ass if I'm late."

No response. Just a few more beeps.

"Zim?"

Nothing.

The human shrugged and walked to the door. His hand had just settled itself on the doorknob when a clawed, gloved hand placed itself on top of his. Dib blinked a few times, then looked down at the alien. Distraught eyes stared back up at him.

"Dib-human. Wait a minute… I… need to ask you something."

"Well, make it quick. Gaz will come after both of us, you know."

"I… uh… they… oh forget it. I'll converse with you tomorrow stink-beast. Keep that worm-baby sister of yours away from me."

"Zim? What's-"

The door shut in his face. Dib stood for a minute, taking in what just happened in the past minute. Figuring that Zim was just having a spaz day, he turned, dodged the gnomes and left for his house.

Zim on the other hand, upon seeing Dib leave for home practically dove for the transport toilet. Ignoring the protests from GIR, Zim continued looking for answers. He had to figure out what exactly he saw… he didn't want to seem like a fool, especially in front of _Dib. _Zim scoffed, and clicked a few more times. His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face

"Found it."

* * *

What did Zim find? What did Zim want to ask? Why did GIR decide to sing the Brady Bunch theme song? All will be revealed (except the GIR thing) in the next chapter! ... Maybe.


	4. Next Day pt 1

Hey everyone! I know its been a while sinceI last uploaded, but... well... I forgot... ;; Sorry.

Enjoy the next chapter, and remember, I DON'TOWN ANYTHING

* * *

The next day Dib still couldn't really fathom what had made the little menace so upset. That look on Zim's face had etched itself into Dib's memory. The paranormalist sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time and looked up at the clouded sky again.

"Maybe I should ask him about it…"

"Ask me about what, Dib?"

The human lowered its head to face the invader, noticing two things right off the bat. One, Zim was noticeably calmer than yesterday, even back to smiling that smug smile of his and walking like he was the ruler of world. The second unnerved Dib a bit. Normally on such a cloudy day Zim would be covered head to toe in water-proof padding, but today he wore only his uniform.

"Why aren't you wearing your rain-gear?"

"That's your question, Stink-beast? It's simply a factor of tracking and monitoring storm movement." Zim then folded his arms, looking quite proud of himself as he smirked at the human.

"You mean you watched the weather channel?"

"Shut up Dib-Monkey!"

Dib only laughed at the alien, turning away from its piercing gaze. "Come on Zim, we'd better get to class." Before Zim could comprehend what Dib had said, he was left alone in the schoolyard.

---------------

After hearing Ms. Bitters rant for about 2 hours (which consisted of mostly dooms, doom, and of course, DOOM) the students were released from the stuffy confines of the classroom and guided to the Cafeteria… or the slop-hole as Zim so thoughtfully put it.

Dib smiled, reflecting on all the little nicknames he had oh-so- affectionately given to certain aspects of human life. They entered the 'drone-room' to learn, then went to the 'slop-hole' to eat, then went home in the 'dirt runner', dodging 'stink-beasts' and 'four-legged menaces'. He smiled and shook his head, lifting up some of the slop to eat. When the 'food' gurgled at him, he decided to risk the alien food later on rather than the inhuman substance before him.

He pushed it towards Gaz, who snapped it up without a second thought. The sight made him cringe, so in order to find something else to focus his mind on, he settled his sights on a familiar face.

Zim

He sat in the corner as he often did, ranting to a small child about nothing in particular. The only thing he managed to overlook were the headphones in the kid's ears. Dib chuckled. Same old Zim.

"Dib… DIB! Quit staring at your boyfriend and get the hell out of my light…" Gaz hissed. Dib sat up immediately, growing red in the face and muttering something as he shifted over and away from his demon-spawn sister.

The bell rang, and the children filed back into class.

------------------------------

Surprisingly, the clouds didn't spill their contents onto the Earth by the time school had ended. Nor did it rain by the time the pair reached Zim's base. Dib knew this better than anyone, for Zim wouldn't shut the hell up about it.

Even on the way inside, he felt the need to state the awesome rightness the Irken Elite had over puny Earth-scum such as the Dib-monkey. Before Dib could backhand the alien, however, the defective SIR unit crashed into its Irken master. Dib blinked a few times and stepped over the struggling pair without a second thought; off to the kitchen to prepare dinner once more.

A loud crash sounded about five minutes into the meals preparation, followed by giggling and yet another horrid rendition of a sitcom theme song (Gilligan's Island, to be exact). Dib only shook his head as he attempted to cut the pyramidal hunk of whatchamacallit that sat before him.

The knife broke.

Dib blinked

And tried the portable table saw.

* * *

Huzzah! Chapter 4 is done. Part 2 will be up shortly.

Remember to Review!


	5. Next Day pt 2

Ah-ha. The part 2 has arrived! I own nothing (sniffsniffsob) but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy! Remember to review afterwards... please?

* * *

"Zim?"

"…"

"Zim? Are you alive over there?"

"… wha? Oh, yes Dib-human. I am functioning quite well."

"Then why aren't you eating?"

"I am."

"No, You're poking"

"…"

Needless to say, dinner was rather quiet. Also needless to say, it was annoying the hell out of Dib. He would have taken the endless beeping of Zim's computer/watch over the silence. Silence was never a good thing.

So he tried again.

"Zim?"

"What is it Dib-monkey?" Zim asked, sounding perturbed

"Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. Zim knows everything, and therefore there is nothing wrong"

Dib blinked a few times, his gaze still on Zim as the little invader went back to poking at his food. The boy sighed, finishing off the last of his dinner before getting up to clean his place. "Hey Zim," Dib said softly "Would it be ok if I stayed the night?" When he got no answer he began again. "I know it's kind of sudden, but Dad is being incompetent again and Gaz already threatened my life ten times this week… I'm kind of afraid to go home."

Zim had lifted his head during Dib's one-sided conversation, turning to face the human as he spoke. "You are… afraid, Dib-human?"

"I guess… my home isn't exactly the safest of places you know." Dib said softly, staring down at his plate. His head jerked up when he heard a soft clank to his right. The boy looked down at the invader. Rather than returning his gaze, Zim deployed his spider-like mechanical limbs and turned away.

"I will have GIR prepare the couch for your sleeping mode. Stay here to make sure it's right."

The toilet flushed, and Dib was left alone.

--------------------

"Crap… crap… bull… crapola… more crap… ugh…."

So had been the conversation Dib had been having with himself for well over two hours. GIR sat there quietly (his mouth had been duck taped shut), swinging its legs over the edge of the couch/bed.

"Ugh, there is NOTHING on…"

"You are very easily made to whine, Stink-beast."

Dibs head snapped up from the position it was in (bent backwards over the arm rest) which caused him a very swift case of dizziness. The black pointed finger poking him repeatedly in the forehead didn't help his condition much. "And you are easily given pain… I'll have to remember this weakness, Dib-stink."

Dib groaned and swatted his hand away. "Beh. Whatever." was his mumbled reply. When he opened his eyes again, the paranormalist stared in disbelief.

Zim didn't have his disguise.

He was standing right in front of him; one eye squinted as if studding the boy. The spider-like limbs supported his body, one of them inching close to the glasses seated on his noise. His gloved hand was tapping lightly on his chin, further urging the impression Zim was studding the boy.

Dib blinked. "Zim… are you… feeling, alright?" He watched the aliens tapping claw, then looked back up at the red orbs that bore into him. Dib shuddered involuntarily, squirming back into the couch. "Cut it out Zim, you're starting to freak me out."

Zim squinted his other eye, his antenna twitching. Hethen made a low 'hum' like noise before withdrawing the spider legs into his PAK and sitting beside the human boy. "Gimme the controller human. The superior ZIM will find something ALL WILL ENJOY!"

And just like that, everything was normal again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow Zim… who knew a documentary on the history of weaving could be sooo much fun…"

"HA! The secrets of human cloth-making will BE ALL MINE!"

Dib just huffed in frustration and turned on his side, looking at the bizarre posters on the wall. Rather than read the stupidly obvious slogans, he turned to face the alien who, despite what he said, seemed bored as hell. Dibs eyes shut after a little while, only to snap open again when the flickering of the TV ceased. The lamplight was the only thing left to illuminate the room. Dib looked around cautiously. GIR was no where to be seen, and Zim was staring directly at him.

"Zim…?"

"Dib, may I ask you a question?"

Dib blinked nervously at the little invader. "Uhm, sure… what's the question?"

* * *

HA! CLIFFHANGER! Yes, I knowI am evil... But do notdispair, my readers. for there will be SLASH IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! HUZZAH! 


	6. The Question and answer

**Finally, it has arrived; the next instalment of "It's Just a Question..." Slight warning though, there is a very bad word in here (coughfwordcough) and of course, Slashy goodness. Before I let you go, I just want to say thank you so much to all my reviewers for their kindness and patients. :-) You guys are great.**

**Now, without further ado, here's the next chapter:**

_"Zim…?"_

_"Dib, may I ask you a question?"_

_Dib blinked nervously at the little invader. "Uhm, sure… what's the question?"_

During the short conversation, they had contoured themselves into a rather odd position. Dib had leaned back, his head on the armrest and his body splayed out over the rest of the couch. Zim, in accordance to Dib's actions, and leaned over the human boy. His clawed hands were now placed on either side of Dib's face; his knees supporting his alien body were straddling Dib's hips. Their faces were mere inches apart, red boring into black.

"Dib…" The human boy shuddered at Zim's whisper. Much to his embarrassment, he felt himself burn in _two_ rather_ obvious_ places. _What the hell is wrong with me!_ "Z-Zim…?"

"Don't interrupt me human," Zim hissed, leaning closer. His clawed hand moved up to trace the odd-coloring on the humans face. He arched a non-existent brow when the boy's breath hitched and a tremor overcame him. The invader shook its head and began again.

"Dib, have you ever participated in cannibalistic activity?"

Though dumbstruck beyond belief, Dib replied in the only way one could reply to a question such as that.

"… What the fuck!"

"Have. You. Ever. Participated. In. Canibal-"

"I heard you damnit! What the hell Zim? What in the world are you talking about!"

"Cannibalistic activity you stupid worm-baby! Are you even paying attention to the great ZIM!"

Dibs head smashed back on the armrest as Zim launched into his usual rant against humanity and all its stupid clogging up the galaxy, and how the Irken armada would soon obliterate this stinking-filth-ball because of Zim's valiant and impressive efforts. The usual stuff. Dib managed to squirm his way out from under Zim and brush off his coat before Zim stopped to laugh manically.

"Yeah, yeah. Stupid humans and Irken elite yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah. I got it Zim. Now, if you're finished, what is this about cannibalism?"

Zim cocked his head as the human rubbed two spots on the side of his head and grunted. He cleared his throat and rose to stand officially on the floor before the human. "What I was talking about Dib-stink is a custom Zim has come to find." He smiled smugly, casting a glance to the rather confused human boy before continuing. "It has come to my knowledge that humans my ingest each other for ceremonial reasons or in dire situations, and other, more pleasant purposes My question to you, Dib, was if you are included in this grouping… then you can tell me what you stink-worms taste like."

Dib could only stare at the haughty alien. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. So he just stood there, slack-jawed as the alien observed his appearance once again.

-------------------------------------------------

They stayed that way for a while

It was Zim who broke the scilence

"Well, Dib? I'm still waitng for my answer."

"…"

"DIB! ANSWER MEEEE!"

"Answer what?"

It was Zim's turn to smash his head on something now. That something just happened to be a pizza box GIR had left in the living room. Once the little alien had noticed however, he promptly screamed bloody murder and flailed his arms, obsessing over the grease ridden human filth that was now invading his Irken form. In the mean time, Dib shut his mouth and stared blankly at the alien, trying to piece everything that had happened in the last ten minutes. When his brain had finally caught up, Dib blinked a few times and grabbed Zim's wrist with practiced ease.

"Okay Zim, let me see if I'm even close to understanding what your rambling on about." With that, Zim finally quieted and looked up at him, red boring into black once more. "You want to know if me, Dib, has ever ingested another human for… what purpose again?" Zim blinked and put his free hand to his chin, the antennae on his head perking slightly "Well… considering you have renounced all form of religious observance… and you are no where near starving" Zim poked Dib's stomach "I would guess that you as a 'normal' human worm-baby would participate in such an activity for pleasant reasons."

"What part of eating another person is enjoyable?" Dib deadpanned, staring straight into the crimson orbs. It was his turn to observe the alien. Zim shrugged limply, flexing the clawed hand that was still in Dibs grip "I wouldn't know Dib-stink. I would assume you could tell me."

Dib shut his eyes for a few moments. He sighed before speaking again. "Hate to break it to you Zim, but people here don't practice cannibalism… as far as I know anyway. It's more of a third-world thing. You know, tribes, dances, funny hats. Humans here really don't have that. I should know, I was observing them for eleven years of my life." A weak smile formed on his face as his eyes slid open. It quickly faded when he met Zim's iron stare.

"Nuh-uh Dib-stupid. I _SAW_ two of your kind eating each other! That means either my eyes or you are lying to me _Dib_. AND MY VIEWING ORBS DO NOT LIE!" The alien wrenched its hand out of the boys grip. The spider legs deployed from his PAK, raising the Irken menace above Dib's level of height. Zim hung limply from his PAK, his head lowered and antennae twitching slightly. "You are keeping something from me Dib…" Zim murmured lowly, his head lifting slightly to look at the now cornered boy. The light illuminated the red orbs the alien called eyes. Dib only stared in shock and awe, his hands clamored frantically along the wall he had boxed himself into. The most thrilling experience of his life… he was gonna end up as alien-chow.

Zim's jagged smile spread across his green face "If you will not tell me what you humans taste like… I will just have to find out myself…"

---------------------------------------------

Zim swooped down

Dib opened his mouth to scream and raised his hands to block the coming onslaught…

But it was unnecessary.

Zim crashed down on top of the human boy, ramming his claws and Dib's raised hands into the wall, making it crack under the force of the blow. Their bodies were now pressed together in all sorts of ways, one of which held Dib's wide-eyes stare.

Zim was kissing him. Right on the lips. Really well, actually. Zim really did his studying. The alien moved gently over the boy's lips, nipping and suckling. His ruby eyes were closed to thin slits, and Dib soon found his own eyes sliding shut. Not only that, but he felt himself responding to the alien, however weakly it might be. His legs could barely support his body anymore; he was certain that if Zim hadn't pinned his hands to the wall he would have slid down to the floor by now.

Zim smiled against the humans lips, sensing the weakness that he had brought the insignificant human. The draining of energy… it made him feel so alive. He let a chuckle slip through as he bit down on the humans lip. He let another slip when he felt the human tremor and heard a strange sound slip from his organ-case.

Dib couldn't help himself. He had lost this battle of wills… but he wasn't complaining. His first kiss went to someone who knew what he was doing.

His first kiss…

To a he…

Dib's mind stopped dead. His whole being stopped dead. Dib was kissing Zim. The alien, the Irken invader bent on destroying humanity, the little _male_ green menace that had made his life hell for almost ten years. _A male alien._ It all hit Dib like a ton of bricks. No, more like a truck… filled with a ton of bricks. So he did the only thing his mind would allow him to do.

He hit Zim… hard enough to send him back three feet.

Then he ran.

And didn't look back

**Well, would ya look at that... a semi-cliffhanger. What should happen next I wonder outloud to myself. XP Lemme know if you have any idea, I might use it in the next chapter (I'll credit you of course). Hope you liked it. Comments and constructive critisim welcomed. Adios!**


	7. Aftermath

Here it is, the next chapter! Wh00t! X3 ok. Enjoy teh aftermath.

SLAM!

"Congratulations… you have now advanced to level 156."

Such was the greeting Dib received. He leaned heavily on the door, out of breath and panting. The world had seemed nothing more than a blur as he bolted from Zim's base. His brain couldn't process all that had happened. Green, lawn gnome, old lady in a wheel chair, waffle. He shut his eyes and slid down the door until he was seated firmly lop-sided on the ground. His chest still heaved, but other than that, his entire being had seemed to shut down.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't going to get any peace tonight.

Gaz materialized from the confines of the living room, her Gameslave 3 tucked away safely on her person. Dib didn't have to open his eyes to know she was creeping toward him with a glare on her face. What he didn't know was that she was holding a bat.

A loud whooshing noise and the flurry of stars behind his eyes let him know that bit of information.

But no, the insane amount of pain she had already inflicted was no where near enough. She had to speak to him, her voice like a jackhammer on his already fragile mind. "I told you Dib…" she hissed "that if you bothered me you would pay…" Dib could only groan in response, remaining unmoving. Gaz opened one of her eyes, expecting a slew of begging and pleading. "Well?" she got no answer "Dib… are you dead?" she blinked, slightly nervous at the thought of what her dad would say if he found out. She relaxed as Dib began to shakily lift himself up.

"N-not now Gaz… I- I really don't need this tonight…" He coughed, lifting his hand to feel his head for lumps or a bloody gash. Gaz cocked a brow at him, "Geeze, you're a mess" Dib cracked open his eye, wincing slightly, "No shit Sherlock, you just smashed my head in with a bat." She looked at the item in question, throwing it to the side before kneeling down.

"No… I mean before that. Why were you out of breath?" she paused to think for a moment "Did you and Zim have break up or something?" Dib glared in her general direction, unsure of which of the three Gazs to take a swipe at. "We did not break because we can't break up because we are not together." He stated firmly between clenched teeth. He finally got back on his feet, leaning rather drunkenly against the doorframe. "Leave me alone Gaz, I'm not in the mood."

He grabbed an umbrella to use as a walking stick and headed up to his room, leaving Gaz alone kneeling on the carpet. She shrugged and leapt back on the couch, pulling out her Gameslave to conquer level 156.

------------------------------

"Nhgg… GIR! GIR, COME HERE! OBEY YOUR MASTER!"

The little robot's feet clinked on the hard floor as he neared the fallen alien. He saluted, his eyes turned red for a moment. "Yes sir!" His demeanor changed quickly though, his eyes switching back to turquoise "Awwww… did you get a boo-boo?" The little SIR leant forward, flipping open its head to pull out various band-aids to offer its master.

Zim was not amused. He swatted the metal hand away, gripping the antenna on top to hoist himself up. "No, GIR. I do not have a 'boo-boo'" he made quotey fingers around the child-like word the robot used. "Go fetch me cleansing chalk and… and something else I'll find use for." The robot stared for a moment, then smiled widely "Okie- Dokie!" The metal feet clunked on the floor as it walked off, leaving Zim to think about what just happened.

He had the human… he _had_ him. The Dib was putty in his gloved hand. Such power… and yet was it was unlike anything he felt as an invader. He had seated himself behind some of the most powerful weapons known in the universe, he had commanded the most advanced in Irken technology… and yet this feeling he felt was unlike any of those. Could that mean the Dib-human was the most powerful power of them all?

"Impossible, why would that stinking flash bag be holder of the greatest power in all the known universe, and NOT THE GREAT ZIM!"

Realizing he had shouted out the last part to the empty room, the invader gave up and sloughed forward to the couch. His clawed hand grazed over the injuries Dib-stupid had caused. He began grumbling to himself, cursing the Dib for taunting him with so much power. For taunting him with all those little noises he made and submissive- ness he feigned. For taunting him with the addictive Dib-taste he possessed. For taunting Zim… with something he didn't understand. The invader rocketed to his feet, immediately regretting the decision when he felt a dull ache spread through him. Zim shook his head, and, ignoring the ache he called for GIR.

Ever the faithful servant, he dropped down from the ceiling; a pack of cleansing chalk and a rubber piggy in hand. "Yes master!" Zim stared at him for a moment, then looked idly to the window. "GIR, I have a special assignment for you… so pay attention…"

"…Whut?"

-----------------------------

Ah, the end of another (kind of short) chappie. The next one will be up sooner or later. Oh, by the way, lemme know if I should take it further with the "stuff." You're feedback would help me a lot. Remember to review!


	8. Aftermath pt 2

YAY! New chapter! Whoo! Yeah, I know it's been a while, but School and other assorted thing keep getting in the way. Oh welll. Remember to read and Review

----------------------------------------------

The mattress creaked under Dibs weight. It was to be expected… his dad had only an hour off every year to see his 'family', he wasn't going to help fix Dib's bed. His head still hurt from the wooden bat coming into contact with his skull, but after a quick check he found no gashes or deadly splinters lodged into his brain. It still hurt like a bitch though.

Dib grimaced. His poor, rattled mind tried to piece together what had happened in the past day, but everything kept getting jumbled and confused. He took a deep breath and tried to think past the throbbing in his head to the thoughts that lay scattered in his brian.

Zim

Breathe

Swooped down

Breathe

He had swooped down…

Breathe

And…

"Hellloooo? Is that you monkey man!" Manic, almost childlike laughter followed the remark, accompanied by a constant clinking noise. Dib sighed and waved at the general direction of the window. "Hello GIR. What brings you here?" The clanking noise refused to stop, so to salvage what was left of his brain cells, he lifted his aching head to face the window.

Said little robot was dangling outside Dib's window by what appeared to be… Dib's gutter. He was swinging his feet to and fro, clinking against the glass as he hummed a little tune to himself. It took a few minutes for the SIR to notice Dib was staring blankly at him; but when he did he simply grinned and waved. "Hi!"

Dib blinked slowly, unmoving as Gir continued to hum his happy little song. He flicked the latch on the window to unlock it and opened it slowly. GIR skittered in, halting on the edge of Dib's bed and looking around in total awe. He hopped off the edge of the blanket and walked around slowly, cautiously, as if he was in a famous museum. He paused to look at certain posters and pictures and devices he still had from his childhood. If not for his current head-throbby state, Dib would have been amused, maybe even amazed at the human-like behavior the robot was exhibiting. But after everything that happened, Dib was only annoyed.

"GIR! What do you want?" He snapped. Said droid turn on his heel and stared up at the human, looking at him with wide eyes. Dib narrowed his eyes in response "I asked you what you were doing here? Zim's spying on me isn't he? That little bug-eyed freak I'm gonna-"

"The monkey man acts like master!" was the robot's ecstatic reply. Dib stared at him, slightly slack-jawed at the comment just shouted out into the room. The robot only giggled at the surprised human, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Dib rubbed his throbbing temples, "Okay, let's try this again. Hello GIR, what brings you here?" GIR stood straight up, facing Dib with his red eyed salute. "Master wishes for me to relay this message to you, sir!" Dib blinked slowly, his head in his hand as he sighed "Well, what is it GIR?"

-----------------------------------------------

"That STUPID robot! How long does it take to relay a simple message!" Zim fumed. He had been pacing in the living room for well over an hour now, effectively wearing a hole in the floor as he marched. He mumbled curses in every language he knew, his brows knitted in what seemed to be a permanent scowl. "Never send a SIR to do an Irken soldier's job."

The alien grunted, finally seating himself on the couch. He picked up the controller with one of his robotic legs, flicking through the channels absent-mindedly. He wasn't watching the human programming, however. His gaze remained transfixed on the small indent he had worn in his base. Anyone who would have seen him would have thought he had slipped into a coma; his eyes had fallen half closed and his reptilian tongue lolled out the side of his mouth. In truth, he was just thinking.

Thinking about the Dib.

The invader could not seem to get over the fact that the human grease-pit had bested him. Sure, he _acted_ like Zim was in control, but what that human did to Zim was unforgivable.

He had shown Zim the greatest, most amazing of all powers

And had taken it away.

The Irken bolted upright and snarled, his crimson eyes growing dark with anger and confusion. "How dare he… HOW DARE HE DO THIS TO THE GREAT ZIM!" The green one breathed raggedly, his eyes shut and fists clenched as he growled and cursed into the empty room. His anger quelled, however, finding himself too tired to continue his rant without anyone to listen. Zim fell back into the cloth of the couch with a huff.

"Damnit…" she sighed and turned over, wriggling deeper into the fold of the couch until he felt his PAK consumed by it. His lids opened slightly to stare blankly at the screen. A commercial for what looked to be some very useful knives. He looked over the living room once more; the door, the window, the new hole in the floor, and a heap of black cloth near the entrance to the kitchen.

Dibs coat.

Zim blinked slowly, laying his head back on the couch to stare at the T.V again. He watched the knives slice though all sorts of different things; meats, rubber, sledge hammers, frozen things, a brick.

The black material studded with metal dropped down beside his head. The whirr from the mechanical limb retracting into his PAK drowned out the incessant talk of the humans on the screen.

The Dib did say he was going to stay the night, after all…

Zim was sure he wouldn't mind if he shared the couch.

Just this once.

------------------------------------

Yay! New chapter is over! Can't promise it will be updated soon, but it will be updated... eventually.


	9. Transition

HA! New update XP Yeah, this chapter is kind of short... but it's more of a transition chapter than anything else. The next one will be longer, I promise.

------------------------------------

It was a normal day, just like a day this whole… _thing_ started. A crisp, cool day with a handful of clouds in the sky, as if their only purpose was to spite the sunshine. The sun shone in random specks and dapples along the ground, mimicking the flutter of the breeze and the swaying of the leaves. Some of the said tree-appendages had begun to litter the ground. They crunched under his heavy boots as he walked.

Dib glanced up at the sky, the little bits of light reflecting off his lenses as he trudged through the leaf-litter. He rubbed his bare arms a bit, shivering as the breeze mocked him, blowing cold and a few leaves directly in his face. A little green dog skipped to his side, humming to himself as he walked beside his temporary master.

Dib only rolled his eyes as he recalled the morning. After listening to about two and a half hours of drabble he had passed out, falling face first onto the squeaky mattress. He awoke the next morning to find his socks stapled to the wall, and an over-tired little robot asleep on his head. When he poked the little SIR, he had sat up, rubbed his eyes, yawned, and then screamed bloody murder about something concerning updates a fevered need to save 'teh cute puppehs.' After about fifteen minutes of that, GIR had stopped, walked out of the room and made waffles.

Now the hyperactive little thing was skipping beside him, seemingly content in his mission to save the puppies… whatever that meant. Dib felt a slight smile form on his face. He couldn't seem to remain upset at the robot. I truly seemed no more than a baby, or rather a walking, talking puppy.

Except when he sang. GIR was_ evil_ when he sang.

Dib shuddered again and cursed himself for loosing his coat. He thought back to where it might be. Skool? No, he had it with him when he left the other day. MacMeatys? No, he hadn't been there in a long time, nor Bloaty's. Home? No, he hadn't had it when he arrived back home and received that blow to the head. That only left one place; Zim's Base.

No, there was no way he could be that stupid. There was no possible way… was there?

Manic laughter and a flutter of black and metal confirmed his suspicions. Yes, he was, in fact, that stupid to leave his trench coat at Zim's house. Dib stood for a moment on the other side of the street, arms crossed over his chest, debating whether or not to cross the street and face the alien, or to just turn around and walk away. GIR, who had skipped headlong into Dib's pant leg, decided for him.

"MASTAH!" and the roar of rocket boosters were the only warning the two of them had before GIR throttled across the road and straight into Zim's head The force of the impact sent Zim hurtling backward in a flurry of green and black. A string of curses in Irken from the fallen alien along with a few well-places swats got the SIR unit off his face.

"GIR! Where have you been? Never mind. Go home… NOW!" The sad little robot looked miserably up at its master, and then sulked his way back to the base. Zim sighed and brushed off the bits of leaf that cling to 'his' new coat. Reaching up to adjust his wig, he noticed a particular human across the street.

Said human was huddled around himself, running his hands over the exposed bits of arms. The light was shining off his glasses, concealing the stare behind those glass orbs. The light wind made the scythe-like lock of hair flop to and fro. Much to the alien surprise, Dib looked odd without his coat. It was like he became a different human meat bag. Zim kept completely silent in his observation of the Dib. The invader shuffled a bit, pulling the coat closed around his tiny body. He kept his gaze steady, staring at the human who held the greatest of powers

Though Zim couldn't see, Dib was staring straight back at him. His eyes widened slightly as he shouted so rudely at the hyperactive servant. They remained in their state, maybe increasing as the Irken locked gazes with the human. He dragged his eyes over the alien, noticing how small the coat made him look… how childlike and venerable. He rubbed his arms as a light breeze blew by, his scythe-lock tapping against the sides of his head. As he looked Zim, Dib flashed through the events of the night prior. He shivered, from what he didn't know.

The standoff had begun.

-------------------------------------------

Ok! The newest chapter is all updated and pretty. ; ) The nest update will most likely be in a week or so, mmmkay? Remember to review!


	10. Standoff

Ok, here's the new chapter. Again, it's still kinda short, but bear with me. I can't do much between school and writers block and such, but it will be updated, don't worry. Can't tell you when, but it will be updated.

--------------------

_The standoff had begun._

By this time a small crowd had gathered around the two conflicting forces. Whispers and murmurs rippled through them as they gawked. The two in question, however, stood stock-still. The fact that there was a crowd, a group of people they knew but didn't know knew them, didn't faze them in the very least. They just stood on the opposite street corners, in a contest with no winner.

It was a lucky thing, then, that they still had a good hour until class began.

They each had their own reasons for being so apprehensive. Dib, on one hand, had been assaulted by an alien, his sister, and a robot in the course of a little over three hours. Now, his sister's abuse he was used to, and GIR could easily be forgiven for his antics, considering he treated everything that moved in the same way. Zim, however… Zim was different. The entire situation surrounding Zim was different. He had taken something that couldn't be replaced. But thing was… Dib didn't mind. Yes, looking back on it, it wasn't exactly the beautiful, funny, smart, and lovely girl he had always dreamed of that had kissed him… but then again, Dib hadn't thought of her since he and Zim made up that truce. Actually, looking back on it, he may have actually_ felt_ something. What that something was, he didn't know… but he was reluctant and all to willing to feel it again. And so he stayed put.

Zim was a separate case entirely. All he was focused on was the Dib. Every breath, every shift in position, they could be clues to that power he held deep inside. It was almost as if those shoe-aliens had actually been real, and had actually made Dib an all powerful being capable of destroying the great Zim. But that was impossible, so that must mean Dib has a power that not even he knows exits. But wouldn't that be impossible too? Arg, too confusing, this human logic. All Zim knew was that he wanted what Dib gave him one night prior, and if that meant pinning down that meat sack and forcing all those noises out of him and feeling that twisty-turny feeling in his Squeedly-Spooch again, then so be it.

The time had dwindled down to a little less than fifteen minutes, and still neither one of them had moved. The gathering had since grown to a considerably large number, even including a few teachers and other staff. The murmurs had gotten louder, reaching actual talking and even a few taunts and jeers scattered here and there. They fell on deaf ears, however, and soon stopped completely. The whole crowd had shut their mouths and proceeded to stare intently.

Dib had shifted forward a step.

Zim had recoiled aver so slightly, clenching the coat tightly around his body, just as a child would clutch a treasured toy to keep it from harm.

Dib looked down, the glare finally coming off his lenses as he let out a puff of air he failed to realize he had kept inside.

Zim leaned forward, trying to gauge the humans' expression, still clinging to the coat with all his might.

Dib lifted his head once more and took a deep breath.

Zim recoiled, cocking a brow.

Dib stepped forward, again, and again, and again, slowly but surly making his was across the street. The crowd had grown big enough to spill into the pavement, cutting off the traffic. Not that is was a big deal anyway. The drivers had exited their cars and _joined _the huge gathering. The two in question, however, remained perfectly oblivious.

Dib had now made it to the center of the crosswalk, where he stopped and took another deep breath. Was he really going to cross the street? What was he going to do when he got there? Why was Zim wearing his friggen coat? These and around fifty billon more questions buzzed around his head. It was beginning to hurt again, but Dib just shook his head and started walking again.

Zim watched intently, joined by hundreds of faceless observers that he knew nothing about. The invader could only watch as the human progressed forward, then stopped. Could the power be overwhelming him, ready to burst out and overtake his superior Irken form? Zim recoiled, clutching the coat's coarse fabric. Perhaps he was drained; perhaps it was the coat that gave him power. Was the Dib wearing it when that feeling came over Zim? Though he tried hard, the diminutive Irken couldn't seem to recall _anything_ but that intense feeling.

Well, it didn't matter because Zim had the coat and Dib didn't.

So ha.

The crowd could only watch as the two stood face to face. They remained unmoving, just staring at each other.

-----------------------------

The end.

Ha, just kidding. Not the end. I do have an idea on where this is going, but I don't know when I'll have the chance to type it all up. Thanks so much to my reviewers for sticking with me and encouraging me to continue. See you soon!


	11. Requisition

Hey guys! Long time no see! -dodges tomatoes and sharp things- ACK! Sorry! I know it's been forever, but I at least I didn't abandon you guys... I've just been busy with other things... DONT KILL ME! -hides- Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter :-) I made it long(er) just for you. Enjoy! XD

_The crowd could only watch as the two stood face to face. They remained unmoving, just staring at each other._

Dib lifted his head, finally locking eyes with the little green menace. The glare on his lenses had shifted just so, allowing only the alien to see his eyes and no one else. Finally able to see the humans' eyes, Zim recoiled only slightly, coming to the sudden realization that, though the human was strong, he couldn't shot beams of brightly-colored death from his eyes… yet. So the Alien and Human locked gazes.

The first thing Dib noticed was the pensive expression. He still looked venerable, but before he still had the haughty I'm-superior-and-you're-not look on his face. That had disappeared as soon as they had locked eyes. Now Zim had been reduced to a kneeling pile of green and rumpled, metal-studded fabric. His square-shaped teeth were gnawing at his lower lip, and he was staring at him almost… fearfully. Dib balked. Zim was afraid of _him_? But why? What had he done to make Zim so nervous? He could see the faint shivering, the slight pinkish coloration behind the lenses that completed his disguise. Or maybe he was imagining it… but that didn't change the unnerving feeling he got now that Zim was nervous.

Zim saw many of the same things in Dib. The young paranormalist looked too skinny without his coat. Weak and gangly. That didn't sit well with the alien. Something holding that much power could not look that deceptively weak. It was impossible to do. The great Zim couldn't even manage that. At least he could see the humans' eyes now. But they didn't look right. They were stained with red, lines etched into the white that was usually there. That wasn't right. They were covered oddly with the 'eyelids', something he though he had seen before, but couldn't place it. His lenses were scratched too… he must have fallen asleep with them on. He always complained when he did that. And his face… it was pinkish. Zim shrugged it off as being nothing more than the cold breeze.

A sigh brought both their heads up in a snap. Not being able to tell where it came from; they looked at each other again. Zim to Dib, Dib to Zim; it seemed to most of the crowd that neither one of them was able to move, as if they were turned to stone. The murmurs started again, rippling through the crowd just low enough to escape both boys range of hearing. They just remained there, stock still and staring, stiff as stone.

Until Dib moved. He straightened himself, and placed his hands stiffly at his side, as if he had just made an important decision. With his fist clenched he lowered his head, and then raised it again to face Zim directly. The glare was back on his lenses, shielding his eyes from everyone's view. Zim's vision, then, was impaired, and that scared him more than the previous changes in the humans' behavior. He was at disadvantage now, a huge no-no in situations such as these. So Zim, falling back on old training, assumed a defensive stance under the tent-like coat. It didn't work quite as well as he planned (too much coat, not enough Zim), but he'd be damned before he let the Dib get the upper hand in combat.

Dib stood still for a few moments, then sucked in a breath through his nose. His head started to hurt from the reflection of the sun burning though his thick glasses. He shut them for a moment, then, unclenching and re-clenching his fists, he took a step.

And another

And another

And another

He reached the curb with the same expression, same positions, with only his head turned slightly to stare straight into Zims contacts. It would have been a great-looking scene, one retold in movies and paperback books once they were dead, by someone they barely knew existed. It would have been a great way of analyzing the change in power between two forces that so readily opposed each other, how quickly and simply it occurred. It would have been inspiration for poets and writers, fodder for how a friendship can formulated and crumbed within the matter of a day. It would even be the hottest gossip, whisper by giggling girls and suspicious boys in the locker rooms and bathrooms for the next couple of weeks, or until one of the kids died from the cafeteria food again, whichever comes first.

It would have been great, if Dib hadn't tripped.

He didn't fall, mind you, but he stumbled, and that was enough to break them out of the staring contest with no winner. Dib righted himself, and, instead of turning to face Zim, he remained rooted in place on the sidewalk, staring at the skool. Zim remained where he was too, trying to see, to gauge the look of the human from the corner of his eye. He could see the humans fists had disappeared inside his pockets. He could also make out most of the humans eyes, but was unable to read the expression; not because he couldn't see, but because he didn't know.

Again they remained in the same spots, only they were different spots this time. The crowd began to mutter their displeasure. They had been standing in the same spot for a little over an hour, after all; and this little side-show complete with side-show freaks showed little signs of stopping. The children began to wander off, and the adults and commuters that had stopped to watch the show began to leave, for fear of being later than they already would be. The crowd thinned to skoolyard-conflict proportions, clearing off the street and restricting itself to the sidewalk and a small section of the skools yard.

The bell rang.

For the first time, both the alien and the human became aware they were being watched. Thankfully the crowd had thinned to a few people who wouldn't be listened to anyway. Outcasts, just like them, but at the same time so different. That didn't change the uneasiness between the two boys though. Their gazes lay fixed on the tiny crowd, not quite sure what to make of it. They began to trickle away however; one by one disappearing into the building. The last one, a girl with short, dyed hair and covered from head to toe in purple and black, remained for a few moments more, staring at Dib, then Zim, then Dib again. The crackled voice over the intercom startled her, and she backpedaled a bit toward the skool. She cast a glance at the decrepit building, then back at the two boys who were now staring at her in return. She kindly at smiled at them, and then ran inside.

That left the two on the sidewalk. Alone.

Dib had watched the girl retreat into the building, and Zim watched him watch the girl. Suddenly, Dib turned to face him, smiling in the same fashion as the girl had. Zim glared ever-so-slightly, as if jealous. Had you approached and accused him of that, however, the Irken would have vaporized you on the spot. Dib was well aware of that fact, and so decided to keep his mouth shut. At least, until the frown wasn't so finely etched on the aliens face.

Dib sighed, and Zim straightened, the metal on the coat clinking and shuffling against itself. He still look swallowed, but to a lesser extent than what it had been. Dib continued to look down at the alien, smiling wider when he realized just how short Zim was .Just like a child; an overactive, scheming, demented, senile, child, but a child nonetheless. They stayed silent, afraid to break the thin veil of amiability that seemed to hang about. A short wind rolled passed, taking a couple of leaves with it. They landed beside each other, the prongs overlapping.

Dib turned to face Zim once last time, smiling weakly at the alien. For a brief moment, none of the events had happened last night; Zim and Dib were just friends and nothing more. It was gone in a moment, though, so Dib's smile waned. He held out his hand and stared Zim straight in the eye.

"Zim… can I have my coat back?"

"…"

"Zim?"

"No." the little alien murmured

Dibs eye widened a bit."What?"

"I said no Dib stink. You can't have the coat." Zim stated more defiantly, he lifted his head up to glare at the human, which recoiled in response.

"But Zim, it m-"

"_My _coat now Dib stink. Mine. **M-I-N-E**."

With that, the final bell rang, and Zim retreated into the building. Dib sighed and looked down at his feet. The two leaves that had come to rest there at the last breeze came into his vision. The wind picked up again, one of them caught on the zephyr and flying away, the other feebly limping along the ground. The human watched them sadly, running a hand through his hair. It was gonna be a_ long_ day.

Well? what did ya think? Good, Bad, Ugly, not worth waiting a month for? (Review and let me know!) Well, here's the good news, I actually have some idea where to go with this one XP That means it won't be another month until I update... I think... -runs from angry mob-


	12. Skool Daze

Yay! A new chapter :-) Hurray me! Hurray you! Hurrays for everyone! is shot Ok - enough of that. This one is a long chapter... for me anyway. I hope you guys enjoy it. I actually really like this one. It makes me smile inside. Like this :3 Eh, well, read and review!

------------------------------

One by one the children filed into the classroom, completely routine. The girls were giggling, the boys bragging and using obscene gestures to describe their conquests, and Ms. Bitters hissing and glaring at every single one of them. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Almost.

About five minutes after the late bell rang Zim scuttled into the classroom. Trying to remain unnoticed, he rolled across the floor and somersaulted under his desk to clamor up into his seat. The largeness of Dib's coat, however, made these moves somewhat reminiscent of a bad spy movie. The loud clanking noises didn't help him either.

Ms. Bitters materialized next to him, utterly unchanged by time, in both looks and personality. Zim wondered briefly if she had found out about the youth serum of the Zeta planets in sector Qual before realizing she had hissed a question in his direction.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening"

She hissed

Zim recoiled

"I asked why you were late you doom-fated waste of my time." She pauses and cocked a brow "And why do you have Dib's coat?"

"…" _come on Zim, think of something that she'll believe _

"Oh no reason…" he said casually, flicking an imaginary piece of something off his desk with the hand that wasn't supporting his chin.

"Smooth Zim. Really smooth." came the exasperated reply.

Dib leaned in the doorframe, breathing a bit heavier than usual and shivering still from cold. He threw his books on his desk and slumped in his seat, letting out a long-kept sigh. He shut his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, cracking an eye open to steal a glance at the pair near Zim's desk. They were both staring.

Ms. Bitters hissed and glared at the two, then returned to her desk, mumbling something akin to 'I give up on you sacks of doom.'

-----

Two hours of listening to Ms. Bitters drone on about nothing, still shivering from the cold and feeling everyone's eyes boring into his back was **not **Dib's idea of a good morning. The fact that Zim had his coat only made it worse. He was freezing and his left hand was numb, which made him think it had fallen off at one point or another. Not like it mattered. He just wanted the damn coat back. Was that too much to ask?

Yes, apparently. For when he glanced in Zim's direction, he got in return, a glare, the middle finger, and the reptilian tongue poking out at him. He glared back and turned to look down at the desk. That little green bastard.

Zim, satisfied with his rebuttal to the stink-meat, closed the coat tighter around himself. How much meat did that flesh bag have anyways? The black and metal covering almost doubled itself around Zim's superior form. The invader squirmed and stared blankly at the teacher, wondering if there were any residual powers left in the fabric, and, if so, when would they kick in. Would he be able to use them? Would they hurt him like water? Would the Dib get angry and attack him, resulting a climatic battle that would destroy or save this puny world? Did Dib even care about the worlds anymore? All these questions and more swirled around in his brain… most of them about the Dib.

So consumed in their thoughts, they duo didn't even hear the bell that signaled lunch had begun. They did however, hear their demon-spawn teacher rake her nails down the chalkboard. "Get out…" she hissed "before I use your heads as erasers…" They both hit the ground running.

Safely out of the classroom landed them not-so safely in the hallway. Everyone was staring at them… again. They shuffled down the hall nervously, in opposite directions to get to their lockers. The children lined the halls, like a wall of disapproving statues. Dib tried to will his hand to stop shaking. It was as if they knew what had happened, what they had done that night before. He knew it wasn't true, that they had no idea and he was just being paranoid, but that fear was still picking at the back of his brain and disabling him from dialing in his locker combo accurately. Zim was having similar trouble, feeling more and more swallowed by the coat every minute that passed. Though he wasn't worried for the same reason as Dib, he was worried that they knew something he didn't, and that was never good.

They both let out a sigh when the lockers popped open, slightly relieved to find that the wall of children had thinned in favor of wolfing down the special slop of the day. There were some still present, most noticeably the girl with the brown and purple hair. She was standing at the end, a look of concern in her eyes, so different from the blank and probing stares of the other kids. Dib found himself smiling weakly at her as he passed for some unknown reason. She returned it to him, and gave the same to Zim, who, remarkably, smiled in kind with the strange child.

-----

The cafeteria was as routine as the classroom, though rather than being stared at, Dib and Zim found themselves being ignored, as per usual. Dib found his sister pining away over the 200th level of her game, briefly wondering how she scaled 44 levels in less than a day before sitting beside her in silence. Zim, on the other hand, found a random human child and sat beside him, loudly proclaiming his humanity to the one who wasn't listening. Dib found himself staring again. He shook his head and turned away, back to one of his books, but he found it hard to concentrate. Zim was speaking in the background.

He had to listen

But he soon wished he hadn't

"Yeah, the Dib-human may be a formidable opponent, but he is nothing compared to the great Zim."

_Keep reading Dib._

"I mean, his head is too bulbous to comprehend the true power within, unlike my superior knowledge wielding brain!"

_Stay quiet, stay out of it Dib._

"Ha ha! Stupid big-headed Dib-stink! He can't ever overcome the great ZIM! Not now, not ever, no matter what…"

_Don't look at him._

"What's the matter with you Dib?! Can't handle the greatness that is ME?! No, I didn't think so. Pathetic Earth-worm!"

_Don't let him get to you Dib. Just ignore him. Just look down at the book and ignore him._

"Hey Dib, Zim is talking to you." Gaz stated blandly.

"I know."

"He's staring at you too."

"I know."

"He's on top of the table and has his stupid metal stilts out."

"I kn-what is he doing?" Dib lifted his head a bit, but let it drop into his palm, the words becoming blurred. "You know what, I don't care. Just let him do what he wants. If we're lucky he'll slip and crack his head open."

"…whatever."

"HA HA HA HA HA! Stupid human Dib! Trying to keep that power from me! You though I would never find out, didn't you?! You thought you could fool Zim! But you can't Dib-stupid. You can't because you are weak, you don't know how to use your power. But Zim does! Zim knows ALL! Zim will take that power from you by any means necessary! Even if I have to extract it out of your-"

"That's enough Zim!"

The alien closed his loud mouth and stared at the human. His hands were placed on either side of his book and his head still drooped down. Slowly straightening, he shut the book and turned to glare at the alien. "Enough Zim. Just shut up for once in your life." With that said, and most of the cafeteria looking at them in slight amusement, Dib turned and headed toward the cafeteria door. A bit over- dramatic, he knew, but Zim would only listen if you out-flourished him. Besides, he almost revealed the one thing that would destroy them both. The alien disserved to be embarrassed a bit. And to top it all off, Dib had managed to keep his temper and most of the cafeteria from listening.

"God Dib, you are so weird." Came Gaz's low murmur.

"Yeah, Dib. You're so weird." Zim stated as he nodded sagely in his direction.

The human stopped dead and about-faced to stare down the defiant little alien. With his face red and fist clenched, ignoring all the stares that had once more come to fall on them, Dib finally exploded. "I'm weird? **I'M WEIRD**?! How the hell am _I_ the weird one?! You're the one who's _green_! You're the one who still believes he can _destroy and conquer_ the earth! Youwere the one who _kissed _me!"

_That was a mistake…_

The entire cafeteria sat in stunned silence. Zim looked around frantically, then back at the human in the same manner. Others would have guessed that the green-kid was embarrassed, but Dib could see things they couldn't. From his position on the table, from the stance and the look in his eyes, Dib could see what he was really feeling; panic, fear from being observed so carefully. That same feeling began to well up in his spine, making him dizzy and nauseous. It was still silent. Dead silent.

_Make that a _really big_ mistake…_

------------------------------

Yay for screwing up big time XP Poor Dib. Poor Zim. Whats gonna happen next? Well I'm not gonna tell you. You'll just have to wait till I think it up X3 Leave me nice reviews please. The more I get, the happier I am, and the faster it updates :D


	13. Healing Process

**Hey guys long time no see nervous laughter I know I said I'd update soon, but so much crap got in the way... Well, I'm sorry I made y'all wait so long. It's kind of a long chapter, and I've already started on the next one. Anywy, this chapter has a 3 different perspectives, and they tell what happened after last time. I threw in the last part of the last chapter to refresh anyone who doesn't want to go back and read. Enjoy! **

**_LAST TIME... _**

_The human stopped dead and about-faced to stare down the defiant little ali__en. With his face red and fist clenched, ignoring all the stares that had once more come to fall on them, Dib finally exploded. "I'm weird? **I'M WEIRD**?! How the hell am I the weird one?! You're the one who's green! You're the one who still believes he can destroy and conquer the earth! You were the one who kissed me!"_

_That was a mistake… _

_The entire cafeteria sat in stunned silence. Zim looked around frantically, then back at the human in the same manner. Others would have guessed that the green-kid was embarrassed, but Dib could see things they couldn't. From his position on the table, from the stance and the look in his eyes, Dib could see what he was really feeling; panic, fear from being observed so carefully. That same feeling began to well up in his spine, making him dizzy and nauseous. It was still silent. Dead silent._

_Make that a really big mistake… _

-------- Dib --------

It was black… pitch black. The kind of black where you know something is going to be very, _very_, wrong when the lights turn on. Taking that into perspective, and the trickle of events that transpired before the black, Dib thought it wise to keep his eyes shut and enjoy the black while it lasted. He also thought it wise to refrain from movement, on the off chance of extreme pain. So he lay there quietly, trying to get his bearings on his situation and remember what happened between the cafeteria and the blackness.

**FlashBack**

_It was silent. Dead silent. The poor human's eyes swept the disgusted, shocked, appalled faces of his schoolmates. Even his own sister, the emotionless Gaz, stood dumbfounded and slack jawed at the impromptu confession. His eyes landed on Zim, still as stone on his stilts and staring back at him. Dib was sure that if the aliens' eyes had opened any wider, his contacts would have fallen out. No one moved for quite some time. Even the cafeteria food stopped gurgling to watch the next move. _

_His throat closed in on him, and suddenly it was hard to breathe or even stand without wobbling slightly. He placed one foot behind the rest of him to keep from falling backward. No one else moved. No one else breathed. Dib could only hear his pulse racing and his lungs clawing for air. For a moment, even that noise stopped._

_It was the soft thump of his book falling from his hand to the floor that set them off. He was suddenly sprinting away from everything, everyone. He couldn't see anymore, but he could feel them, hear them behind him. They were chasing him, they were hating him more than they ever had before. All because he made one mistake. _

_He toppled over something, or rather someone. A very big someone. A very big someone named Torque. The massive mass of human stared down at him in rage, for what reason exactly he wasn't sure, and he didn't plan to find out. He tried to scramble to his feel, but was jerked up by the hulking mass instead and sent flying across the hall. Dib coughed, looking up at the approaching figure. It was saying something, but he didn't know what. He couldn't hear anything but muffled words. He gripped the indent in the wall where the fire extinguisher was held, hoisting himself up with the rubber hose. Torque was still approaching, still talking, but Dib couldn't hear and threw the extinguisher at him anyway, hitting him in the face and causing him to fall backward and erupt into a roar._

_He kept running, barely dodging the janitor supplies as he ducked under the rail to the lower level of the school, to the boiler room. No one knew where that was, only he and Zim did. He fumbled with the lock, the doorknob, hearing the children shout as they searched for him. He finally fell inward, kicking the door shut behind him as he crawled along the catwalk and down to the boilers. If he could make it down there, then he could call for help, or maybe even escape._

_He stopped suddenly, his fingers lacing into the grating. What had happened to Zim? Had he escaped? The human pitched forward in a nauseous stance, coughing and panting and feeling sickness he hadn't in a long time. What had he done?_

_He heard the door slam open behind him, and a muffled voice call out in anger, but before he could turn his head to look, everything had turned black._

**End FlashBack**

Dibs brows furrowed, and he groaned in pain. He still didn't know what happened to him or Zim. It didn't feel like he was in the boiler room anymore. The fabric on the back of him was oddly reminiscent of hospital bedding, but it wasn't bright enough through his closed eyes for it to be a hospital. The area didn't smell like one either. It smelt like something like… waffles.

Waffles?

-------- Zim --------

Zim shifted restlessly. After the human was stupid enough to drop his book everything went to hell. They all burst into frenzy, like in those television shows where a weak, helpless animal is attacked by the predators out for blood. A good chunk of them ran out after the Dib-coward, shouting profanity and phrases like "catch the faerie." When the Dib had sprouted wings and a wand he didn't know, but apparently humans didn't like faeries as much as the storybooks had said.

Never the less, Zim was left to deal with a small group of human-animals that's looked at me like the Gorthogs after the Gretch. Zim shuddered at the remembrance of that thought; Gorthogs after a Gretch were never _ever_ good. And they were closing in on him. It didn't really look good for the invader, and he wasn't getting anywhere with the emergency plans of escape. The only two that seemed plausible were launching himself out the window and blowing himself up.

Yeah, the window seemed like a good idea.

The only problem was that the children-turned-animals had surrounded him. And so he was stuck. On a table. With his spider legs as his only support.

On second thought, blowing himself up seemed like a good idea.

All thought was cut short, though, when a few the children suddenly lunged forward, gripping on of his supports and sending him reeling backward. He screamed and staggered across the slippery floor, the children following close behind, if not already attached to his leg. He then came to a halt when his face met the floor. The children pounced, clawing at him, nearly ripping his clever disguise to shreds.

Something lifted him though. A very big and menacing something. A very big and menacing, foot-ball playing, prone to rapid and violent mood-swings something. It was that something that saved him from the piranha pit of small children, shouted something unintelligible and then flung him forward, ripping off one of his spider legs in the process. He would have done a lot worse to the crumpled invader, had he not been blinded by someone flinging mashed potatoes in his eyes and loudly declaring "FOOD FIGHT!" It was in amidst of that chaos that Zim was allowed to escape.

Yeah, the window was always a good plan.

After the sharp-sticky glass, the rocket-fueled escape with the aid of GIR. Everything seemed ok. Ok, until he crash landed. The last thing he saw was the tree he had launched himself into a few days ago. Then everything went black for a while.

When he woke up he was here… wherever here was. He couldn't really move his head without extreme pain. He did know two things though. One, the ceiling was a nice shade of green. Two, GIR was nearby, for he could hear the little robot humming and smell some of the earth-food he liked so much. He thought he heard two other sets of footsteps as well, but that was hard to tell from the pounding in his head.

He sun his green head deeper into the pillow, coming to the conclusion that his disguise was gone, but he didn't care for much more than a few moments. The invader wondered briefly what had happened to the Dib, but decided not knowing at this point would make his head feel that much better.

He heard a groan, a feeble sounding one, one that sounded so much like the one that the Dib made when he was flung out of the window that one time last spring. Well, at least he knew where the Dib was. What had happened, he still didn't know, and he planned to find out… after the achy-pain feeling went away.

---------Third Person --------

In truth, the duo lay not ten feet from each other, being treated and cared for by the three that understood, or didn't care either way what they did.

There was GIR, who after trying to save his master (and kinda failed by smashing into a tree), was now tending to nutritional needs. Dib was correct in his assumption of waffles, for that's what GIR was so happily preparing... though the edibility of the food was somewhat questionable. The little robot hummed happily, mixing and throwing in things here and there, determined to make master and his big-headed friend all better again.

Luckily for the two boys, GIR had help… from Gaz. All things considered, that help was not one you really wanted, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and boy was this desperate. Fortunately for GIR, she had the keys to the house, and knowledge of where and how to use all the first-aid supplies. In fact, Gaz was the one that found Zim and GIR by the side of the road; Zim a bloody mess and GIR frantically looking for the right way home. It was hard to deny the robot, especially when it was latched to the back of her head and crying. So, in a moment of extreme out of character generosity, she allowed the robot and his broken master to follow her home. She busied herself with applying bandages with GIR's aid, and then succumbing to her old self and returning to her video game. She didn't realize until later her brother had experienced a similar fate, and that was only when another helpful soul knocked on the door.

The first thing Gaz saw was the bloody mess that was lying heavily on the girls shoulder. Only once she looked closer did she recognize the limp scythe-lock of hair only her older, crazier brother ever possessed.

She refused to believe it at first, but after some careful words and some well-placed begging, Gaz finally let them in. Dib, though worse off than Zim, seemed no worse for wear as he lay on the separate cot not ten feet from Zim's. Currently his saving grace was sitting between them, making sure they were still breathing and awaiting GIR's waffles. He legs swung to and fro over the edge of the stool, her purple tipped brown hair hanging a bit in front of her eyes. The same girl that had watched them from outside on the sidewalk of the skool to the hall to the cafeteria had been in the right place at the right time, and had finally been able to help. She smiled to herself as she looked at the two.

"You know, I never got your name…" came the gruff statement from Gaz.

"My name?" she paused for a moment "Call me SkoF."

**Alright, that's all done. Hope you guys liked it! **

**Comments equal love**


	14. AUTHORS NOTE: Important info

Hey guys. First off, I want to thank you for all the reviews and support you've given me over the course of the story. I know I haven't exaclty been the best with updating, and yet you have still reviewed and complemented.

But here's the thing; I'm going to have to put this story on haitus for a while. It's pretty complicated situation, and I have writers block to boot. I'll pick it up eventually, but I think I'm going to finish everything forst so I can update when I say I will for a change.

I will say this, though; Though this is a slash story, there will be no lemon. I never intened for there to be anything above a PG-13 rating, so if that's what you're waiting for, sorry. Not happening.

Another thing; this will be finished, but there will probably be another story forced in. I have two I'm working on, so we'll see what happens.

In closing, thanks for everything guys and dolls, hope to see you all when I get back

Wolf


End file.
